Flooding, channel dynamics and transverse infrastructure: a challenge for Middle Ebro river management

This study documents the impacts of engineering works on flood risk and channel dynamics of the maximum geomorphic flow reach of the Middle Ebro River (Spain) over the last ninety years. The map reveals how the construction of transversal transport lines and their ineffective design and maintenance has contributed to an elevated risk of flooding and channel avulsion at this location. In addition, the development of flood protection structures has restricted the natural dynamics of the river. These modifications have restricted the passage of flood waters, ultimately increasing flood hazards, by changing the area and depth of inundation and extending the flood hydrograph. The map allows for the interpretation of key processes, forecasting of flood hazards, and the evaluation of possible mitigating actions. These findings reconfirm that reducing space for the mobility of a river is not a good management solution and further aggravates the current situation

Coexistence of Two Rare Sarcomas: Primary Leiomyosarcoma of Bone and Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma of the Liver

A 33-year-old woman sought medical attention for a painful swelling of the left ankle. Plain radiographs revealed an osteolytic lesion involving the left distal tibia. An excisional biopsy provided the diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma in the tibia. A staging work-up was performed and an abdominal CT showed 4 liver hypodense lesions in both lobes with peripheral contrast enhancement. A liver biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the liver. No association between these two entities has been described before. This case introduces the importance of the pathological confirmation of apparent metastatic lesions in low grade sarcomas and provides a review of the literature of both tumours

Relación entre las variables climáticas y el contenido de humedad de los suelos bajo diferentes especies vegetales aromáticas

Ponencia presentada en: III Congreso de la Asociación Española de Climatología “El agua y el clima”, celebrado en Palma de Mallorca del 16 al 19 de junio de 2002.[ES]En el interior de la provincia de Alicante existen suelos muy degradados afectados por la climatología del ámbito mediterráneo. Sobre ellos se desarrolla una cobertura vegetal muy discontinua con numerosos espacios desnudos en los que las lluvias estacionales contribuyen al transporte de suelo. Tras el estudio de las condiciones climáticas de la comarca de la Marina Alta, se relaciona el contenido de humedad de los suelos con las condiciones climáticas de la zona en relación con las diferentes especies vegetales estudiadas, principalmente plantas aromáticas o autóctonas mediterráneas.[EN]In the interior of Alicante province very degradated soils affected by the climatological condition of the Mediterranean area can be found. On these soils, a very discontinue vegetal cover is developed, which is sparse and facilitates soil transport by the season rains. Taking into account the climatic conditions of the Marina Alta, the moisture content of the soil is related to the different vegetal species studied, mainly aromatic or autoctone Mediterranean plants.Agradecemos a la Consellería de Educación y Ciencia del Gobierno Valenciano y a la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, a través de proyectos de investigación la financiación prestada para la realización del presente trabajo

RNA-seq analysis of the Rhizobium tropici CIAT 899 Transcripitome shows similarites in the activation patterns of symbiotic genes in the presence of apigenin and salt.

Rhizobium tropici strain CIAT 899 establishes effective symbioses with several legume species, including Phaseolus vulgaris and Leucaena leucocephala. This bacterium synthesizes a large variety of nodulation factors in response to nod-gene inducing flavonoids and, surprisingly, also under salt stress conditions. The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes in the presence of both inducer molecules, and analyze the promoter regions located upstream of these genes. Results obtained by RNA-seq analyses of CIAT 899 induced with apigenin, a nod gene-inducing flavonoid for this strain, or salt allowed the identification of 19 and 790 differentially expressed genes, respectively. Fifteen of these genes were up-regulated in both conditions and were involved in the synthesis of both Nod factors and indole-3-acetic acid. Transcription of these genes was presumably activated through binding of at least one of the five NodD proteins present in this strain to specific nod box promoter sequences when the bacterium was induced by both apigenin and salt. Finally, under saline conditions, many other transcriptional responses were detected, including an increase in the transcription of genes involved in trehalose catabolism, chemotaxis and protein secretion, as well as ribosomal genes, and a decrease in the transcription of genes involved in transmembrane transport. To our knowledge this is the first time that a transcriptomic study shows that salt stress induces the expression of nodulation genes in the absence of flavonoids. Thus, in the presence of both nodulation inducer molecules, apigenin and salt, R. tropici CIAT 899 up-regulated the same set of symbiotic genes. It could be possible that the increases in the transcription levels of several genes related to nodulation under saline conditions could represent a strategy to establish symbiosis under abiotic stressing conditions

Structure and function of the alfa-rhizobia non-coding transcriptome investigated by RNAseq

Conferencia presentada en: I Spanish-Portuguese Congress on Beneficial Plant-Microbe Interactions (BeMiPlant) and XVIII National Meeting of the Spanish Society of Nitrogen Fixation (XVIII SEFIN). Oeiras, Portugal, 17-19 octubre (2022)This work was supported by grants BFU2017-82645-P and PID2020-114782GB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe” (BFU2017-82645-P), and grant P20_00185 funded by Junta de Andalucía PAIDI/FEDER/EU, awarded to J.I.J.-Z., and by grant US-1250546 funded by FEDER/Universidad de Sevilla to J.M.V

The Harvey–Bradshaw Index adapted to a mobile application compared with In-clinic assessment: the MediCrohn Study

[Abstract] Objectives: Mobile apps are useful tools in e-health and self-management strategies in disease monitoring. We evaluated the Harvey–Bradshaw index (HBI) mobile app self-administered by the patient to see if its results agreed with HBI in-clinic assessed by a physician. Methods: Patients were enrolled in a 4-month prospective study with clinical assessments at months 1 and 4. Patients completed mobile app HBI and within 48 h, HBI was performed by a physician (gold standard). HBI scores characterized Crohn's disease (CD) as remission <5 or active ≥5. We determined agreement per item and total HBI score and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Bland–Altman plot was performed. HBI changes in disease activity from month 1 to month 4 were determined. Results: A total of 219 patients were enrolled. All scheduled assessments (385 pairs of the HBI questionnaire) showed a high percentage of agreement for remission/activity (92.4%, κ = 0.796), positive predictive value (PPV) for remission of 98.2%, and negative predictive value of 76.7%. High agreement was also found at month 1 (93.15%, κ = 0.82) and month 4 (91.5%, κ = 0.75). Bland–Altman plot was more uniform when the HBI mean values were <5 (remission). ICC values were 0.82, 0.897, and 0.879 in all scheduled assessments, 1 and 4 months, respectively. Conclusions: We found a high percentage of agreement between patients' self-administered mobile app HBI and in-clinic physician assessment to detect CD activity with a remarkably high PPV for remission. The mobile app HBI might allow a strict control of inflammation by remote monitoring and flexible follow-up of CD patients. Reduction of sanitary costs could be possible

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor alpha (PPAR alpha) down-regulation in cystic fibrosis lymphocytes

Background: PPARs exhibit anti-inflammatory capacities and are potential modulators of the inflammatory response. We hypothesized that their expression and/or function may be altered in cystic fibrosis (CF), a disorder characterized by an excessive host inflammatory response. Methods: PPARα, β and γ mRNA levels were measured in peripheral blood cells of CF patients and healthy subjects via RT-PCR. PPARα protein expression and subcellular localization was determined via western blot and immunofluorescence, respectively. The activity of PPARα was analyzed by gel shift assay. Results: In lymphocytes, the expression of PPARα mRNA, but not of PPARβ, was reduced (-37%; p < 0.002) in CF patients compared with healthy persons and was therefore further analyzed. A similar reduction of PPARα was observed at protein level (-26%; p < 0.05). The transcription factor was mainly expressed in the cytosol of lymphocytes, with low expression in the nucleus. Moreover, DNA binding activity of the transcription factor was 36% less in lymphocytes of patients (p < 0.01). For PPARα and PPARβ mRNA expression in monocytes and neutrophils, no significant differences were observed between CF patients and healthy persons. In all cells, PPARγ mRNA levels were below the detection limit. Conclusion: Lymphocytes are important regulators of the inflammatory response by releasing cytokines and antibodies. The diminished lymphocytic expression and activity of PPARα may therefore contribute to the inflammatory processes that are observed in CF

A review of assessment methods for river hydromorphology

The work leading to this paper has received funding for the EU’s FP7 under Grant Agreement No. 282656 (REFORM